The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-06-30
Local Option Versus Whiskey

| Now that the heat Of contest is over and
madness (if any is dead and buried, and
| that both victor aud victim are recovering
their usual happy mood, with friendship
to all and malice to none, the Conquered
Wishing the conquerOr success in all the
| philanthrOpiic and patriotic objects he has
! ill view, ami that he will fulfill all his
promises to the town of Henderson so that
| her Stagnant commerce shall be revived
and the re5uSCitatl0n Of her once flourish
| ing prosperity how many more good things
there are i'll store for us We don't know, bi t
the more the better. All good citizens and
aliens, jews and GentiltS, bond and free
Of ali countries and col0rS VIII be lifted
up to the highest regions Gf sUDlunary
| bliss, throwing on hats up to the moon for
sheer JOY that the lucky change has come
at last, and that southern millennium has
actually set in. We sincerely hone
that the news is not too good to be true, but
at the same time we fear that it is rather
too much to expect that all hands will be
conveyed Gn hamper baskct) to all earthly
paradise right away, and that too, before
the last end Of the world appears. One
thing cheers Us very much it IS this that
our languid natural spirit has now the priv
! ilege OF the reviVng and stimulating as
| SistanCe OF her artificial sister, it will help
Us nightly while making the transition
| 1t appears that this beneficial change has
not come day too soon, for during the last
! our town Is getting head and ears in debt.
| her revenue Is gong to the dogs. Nearly
| all her trade IS gone somewhere else sew
eral ShantleS Oh one side Oi her street are
empty A. for the court house that cost
! so much money it is in fair way Of GETTING
! Shut up altogether; it seems that if it was
not Tor lew paltiy civil cases for the law
! YeIS to Maggie ANA Shag9le over there WOuld
| scarcely be any business transacted there
ut all. HE roguoS can now be put through
j i'll two or three days, whereas it formerly
took as many weeks. The new Jail, wifi,
its patent accommodations must have been
put up little too soon. The Justices Of
the peace are complaining that their crnl-
! inal docket Is rapidly falling off The
same with the Watchmen who say
that they may as We'll 90 to their beds and
take their rest tor all they have got to DO,
| How n.any more evils are pending we
scarcely know; SO it was high time for
! things to change about.
| Some good friend may ask, how did such
| a happy change take pace? Well, il was
just this, that some of the "optionists''
| were accused of a dPrelictiOn Of some zeal
or tancled duty. which gave great offence
to some Of their best friends who went
back on them just at the time when their
help was most needed. Some OF the gen
tlemen who came in for the greater part Of
the blame were Mr.. Somebody, Mr. Nobody.
NJ. Anybody and Alr. Everybody. when
. L
orally 60 by the name of they The
principal charge against them was that
they neglected 10 pay attention 10 some par
ties who were suspected Of breaking tn,
law with regard To the sale of Whiskey.
| have convcrsed with some of those GEN
t emen; think 1t was Mr.. Everybody who
told me that they did not consider them
selves bound to look after these law break
erS any more than the Whole crowd that
voted prohibition last year. and to tell YOU
! as friend am quite of their opinion.
Do You think that the whiSkey sellers
were actually breaking the law? | am
told that it was glaying fact, some OF the
saloon gents were spoken 10 on the subject ;
they We're respectfully informed thai the
grand jury would be happy to make their
acquaintance they pleaded before that
august assembly that the poor darkieS and
others would come in pulling long faces.
and embracing their CTn. stomach. SAVING
! that # they could not obtain a little Of
their taEorlte medicine, they w0uld soon
be dead and buried that being the case
they We're told TO pay some trifliEg cost ANA
go. Did ttCg break tie httc, YOU ask. and
What Won [ me- DO Why some of them
/ would not only break the law, but would
not mind breaking their neckS for money
providing they could get them fixed ali
right again
Now because these supposed law break
ing whiskey sellers cot off al but scot free
I Ho'I'N VI ttit SIColt>t enemies the WnlSkpE
had, turned around and voted with lis
Stannchest friends. just to be revenged on
the aforesaid" They x Co" That is what
Is sometimes called cutting off the nose
TO spite the face" Doyou think that when
the feeling of reaction sets in. these same
parties who voted against their conscience
Will regret the step they took? do think
so, and am Inclined to believe that some of
the most considerable of them feel it already.
any how they have got two years to 81; on
the stool OF reflection, and possibly by that
time, if nothing happens, they NAV have
recovered their own good senses. and find
That their heart is still in the right place
There i one feature in this voting business
winch II true IS very sadly to be regretted
1t Is this: that members OF some of orr
churches, not only cast their votes in oplgo-
sltlon to the interest of the great Head of
the church, but were running about the
streets influencing others to do the same